Beaulieu, Clifton (1909-1979)

https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/gen_oh/26/ [16063]

Biographical Information: Clifton Beaulieu was born on April 13, 1909, in Browns Valley, Minnesota. He spent most of his youth in Browns Valley before moving to St. Cloud with his family after high school graduation. Clifton originally attended St. Cloud State to teach, but thereafter switched to business school. He ultimately worked as a musician following his graduation, starting around the Great Depression in 1929. Aside from his vocational pursuits, Clifton also found time to start a family with his wife Evelyn who he married on July 4, 1942. They had two sons and two daughters. Clifton passed away on October 30,1979.

Transcript Summary: In an interview conducted on June 26, 1979, Clifton Beaulieu recounted his personal and professional life, including his experiences with major historical events like the Great Depression and the Prohibition era. Beaulieu noted that he was originally born in Browns Valley, Minnesota in 1909, but eventually moved with his family to St. Cloud after graduating from high school in his hometown. Here he graduated from St. Cloud State and worked as a musician. Beaulieu affirmed that life during the Depression was never easy, but that he generally made enough to get by as a musician, while his economic fortunes gradually improved with the end of Prohibition in 1933. Aside from his career as a musician, Beaulieu also noted that he briefly served in the U.S. Army between 1942 and 1944 (albeit without seeing combat overseas), and that after the war, he helped manage the Fairgrounds Ballroom in St. Cloud until 1950. Aside from his work, Beaulieu also elaborated a bit upon his family life, discussing his marriage to his wife Evelyn in 1942, and the couple’s four children.

Interview conducted by John LeDoux and Al Nielsen